Thereafter
by Dorrica
Summary: What if the events of "Dib's Wonderful Life of Doom" weren't a simulation? More importantly, what if the events that succeeded the fall of the Massive had played out a bit...differently? /TWO-SHOT/Slash/
1. Part I

**Title: **Thereafter  
**Author: **Dorri  
**Summary: **What if the events of "Dib's Wonderful Life of Doom" weren't a simulation? More importantly, what if the events that succeeded the fall of the Massive had played out a bit…differently? TWO-SHOT (?)  
**Rating: **T (rating will go up)  
**Warnings: **Slash, character death  
**Disclaimer: **The characters of Invader Zim belong to Jhonen Vasquez. I make no profit from these writings.

* * *

**Thereafter**

Part I of II

Dib awoke, a bit surprised to see that his vision was greeted by darkness. He glanced over at the clock by his bed, barely able to make out the blurry red numbers without the aid of his glasses. It was just after four in the morning; the sun would be coming up in a little over an hour, which meant there was still time to get a few more hours sleep, but the man wasn't so sure he'd be able to get back to sleep and momentarily contemplated whether or not he should just get up and start a pot of coffee. He always hated waking up before six a.m.

The young man turned when he felt movement next to him, followed by a soft whimper as the figure shifted its weight. Dib sighed, letting his head fall back against the pillow. His eyes drifted closed, and he draped a hand across his forehead. He listened to the soft, rhythmic sound of steady breathing next to him and he sighed yet again, wondering how on Earth it had gotten to this point.

He could ask himself, 'Where did it all go wrong?', but in all honesty, he couldn't say it _was _wrong, though he knew if anyone knew, they wouldn't hesitate to tell him so. He would be hated, he knew. They would call him a traitor and a liar, and he would welcome it. He could only ask himself why he let him get under his skin. Perhaps it was just a mixture of fascination and pity. There had been a time when Dib wished he had done things differently back on that ship, but as time went on, that sort of wishful thinking eventually dissolved from the far corner of his mind. He _couldn't _think like that anymore, not after becoming so close to him.

Did he regret it? No, he couldn't say that he did. Not now, anyway.

0ooooooo0

_Dib approached the ruins of the ship cautiously. While he wasn't necessarily worried for his life, he knew he had to be prepared and on guard. There was no guarantee that there hadn't been any survivors. He had to make sure before he declared the Earth safe. Debris from other massacred ships still fell from the atmosphere, littering the barren landscape and landing beside their fallen mother ship._

_The paranormal investigator climbed atop the damaged, twisted, metal remains, easily finding an opening and climbing inside. Maneuvering around was quite difficult; he constantly had to move debris or step around still sparking wires. Occasionally, he would come across a dead, bloodied body and would cringe. Not out of grief, of course, but of disgust. He knew searching the ship would take hours. Really, he should have instructed for assistance, but he had wanted to enter the ship alone for some reason. Why, he didn't know. Maybe he just felt like this fight had always been his and no one else's. After all, no one had believed him for so long._

_He searched carefully, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of life, though in actuality, he was more interested in making sure _They _were dead. As long as They were eliminated, then any possible survivors might as well surrender. Cutting out the weeds meant nothing unless the roots came with them. _

_Dib stepped over another corpse, still unsure as to where he was going. He had been maneuvering through the remains of the Massive for well over twenty minutes, and he was beginning to wonder if he was just going in circles. The man stopped suddenly when something caught his eye on the floor: blood, a trail of it, with no body he could see that it possibly belonged to. Energy beginning to radiate in the palm of his hand, Dib began to move forward, following the trail of blood. He stopped abruptly when a loud, anguished cry came into earshot. Yep, there had been a survivor. For the moment, at least._

_Dib wasted no time, moving forward in the direction of the cry, __the blood trail leading the way. Dib eventually found himself on the main deck of the ship, or what was left of it.__ His eyes narrowed when they came to rest on the being just several feet away, recognizing him to be one of the two leaders. His eyes then settled on the being in his arms: the other leader._

_The sphere of energy he had harnessed in his palm in preparation to waste the surviving Tallest slowly faded, and the man let his hand slowly fall to his side. He watched as the red-clad Tallest held his co-ruler in his lap, rocking back and forth and throwing his head back as he let loose another howl of anguish. The mournful cry sent a chill down Dib's spine that shook his entire body and made his blood run cold. He didn't think such a display was possible for their kind._

_Looking the purple-clad leader over, Dib knew he was dead, but then again, his fellow leader's cries of loss were more than enough to prove this. He knew he had to have heard the doors being blasted open, but he had been too caught up in his despair to seem to care. Dib mentally debated with himself on what to do at that moment. He reminded himself that he had a job to do. As long as this Irken survived, the Earth was still in danger._

_Slowly, the tall Irken turned his head towards the human, tears still flowing heavily. Though his despair was still clearly visible in the leader's blood red eyes, Dib could see the absolute fury that he knew was directed solely at him. If looks could kill, Dib knew he'd be on the floor right then._

_The surviving leader gently rested his co-leader on the floor and rose to his feet, though it took a great deal of effort. He stumbled a few times, horribly weakened and hurt. Dib's heart winced with pity as he watched the Irken struggle. It was clear now he had dragged himself into this room._

"_Y-You…filthy…" the surviving Tallest rasped, finally managing to get his footing. "You…killed him. You killed him!"_

_Dib pushed aside his moment of pity and took aim at the approaching Irken, shooting a blast of energy from his hand and striking the Tallest, sending him flying through the air and collapsing to the floor just feet away from his fellow ruler, unmoving. Dib slowly approached him, keeping his hand raised in preparation to fire again if he needed to. He saw the Irken was still breathing and quickly took aim. He prepared to shoot a blast of energy at the Irken's PAK, knowing a destroyed PAK would mean an Irken's death. _

_He bit his bottom lip, the energy circulating in his open palm. 'Come on…shoot him,' he told himself. 'Do it!' Dib took another step forward, his energy glowing brighter._

0ooooooo0

Dib grunted as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, grabbing his glasses as he sat up. He walked around the bed, stumbling over a pair of discarded shoes as he went and mumbling a disgruntled, "Shit" under his breath. He walked over to the glass door and slowly slid it open, stepping out onto the balcony. He rested his arms on the rail and leaned forward, the gentle breeze making him shiver. The nights were getting cooler, and he knew his partner wasn't going to like it. He glanced over his shoulder, back into the dark bedroom where he knew the figure still slept.

Sighing for the umpteenth time, Dib turned and sat down at the small round table, where he typically liked to drink his coffee in the morning. He could hear the flapping sound of a newspaper as the gentle gusts of wind rattled its pages, the only thing keeping it weighed down being a half cup of day old coffee. Even in the dim glow of the moonlight, Dib could still make out the headline:

**ALIEN MENACE STILL AT LARGE**

Dib frowned, and then almost chuckled when he saw his face on the front page, interviewing reporters and trying his best to seem determined and serious as they hammered him with questions. The paper was dated six months ago. He still didn't understand why he hadn't thrown it away by now. His expression fell once more, and he propped an elbow on the table, resting his chin in his palm.

0ooooooo0

_Dib slowly pushed the door open, his eyes falling upon the once proud Irken invader. Of course, even when confined in a glass tank, the tiny creature was still proud. His eyes had never lost their fire, even after being held captive as an experiment for over twenty years. As their eyes met, the room became thick with tension._

"_The Armada came, Zim," Dib said calmly, the lack of malice in his tone surprising the Irken._

"_Eh? And you're still alive?" Zim questioned with surprise, touching his chin with his hand._

"_It's over, Zim."_

_The Irken simply stared._

"_It's done. They're dead."_

_The Irken continued to stare momentarily, his jaw clenching. "Lies. LIES! YOU LIIIE! The Irken Armada cannot be defeated by pathetic human filth such as yourself!"_

_Narrowing his eyes, Dib opened his trench coat and reached into one of the pockets. He pulled a picture he had taken at the crash site from the pocket and slammed it against the glass for Zim to see, who quickly took on a look of horror. "The…The Massive."_

"_Yeah, the Massive. That's what's left of it, at least."_

"_My…My Tallest…?"_

"_Dead."_

_Dib slowly placed the photo back in his pocket, watching the Irken's expression plummet deeper and deeper into despair, momentarily wondering why he was being overly-cruel to the creature. It wasn't like he had to inform him of the Armada's defeat. Didn't they always say ignorance is bliss? Zim had pretty much been defeated the day he turned himself into the Earth authorities. This just wasn't necessary. And yet, he did it anyway, and yes, he instantly regretted it. His deep-seated need to always one up the Irken just couldn't leave well enough alone this one time._

_Dib quickly turned to leave as Zim quietly began to weep, knowing he wouldn't be able to bear the sight. He had wounded the Irken's pride beyond repair at this point. Staying to witness his audible despair would have just been another cruel kick to an open wound. Dib figured he owed him this show of mercy. He left without another word._

0ooooooo0

Dib shuddered at the memory, still regretting it to this day. Zim's health had fallen greatly after he had given him the news of his Tallests' demise. He knew Irkens were dedicated to their leaders, but he didn't know their dedication was _that _powerful, and knowing that he hadn't been completely truthful with the little Irken made him regret it all the more.

0ooooooo0

_His captive was finally awake when he entered the lab, finding hatful, burning red eyes glaring back at him through the tank. He wasn't surprised. He took several steps towards the tank, keeping his gaze locked with the Irken's._

"_You're awake," he stated flatly. "I see your wounds have healed."_

_The Irken only continued to glare. Dib took another step towards the tank._

"_You know, a simple 'Thank you' wouldn't hurt you."_

_Vast amounts of bubbles spewed from the Irken's mouth as he emitted an enraged scream, lunging forward and slamming his fists against the tank. Dib took a surprised step back. _

"_You're just going to weaken yourself," he said dryly, not the least bit concerned that the Irken could actually break through the tank, but when he saw the glass begin to crack under his fists, he nearly yelped in surprise. "Stop that!" he shouted. He rushed over to the wall by the door and lifted the plastic cover that shielded the large, red alarm button. He smashed the button with his fist, earning loud sirens and flashing red lights, which he knew would alert the authorities within the building. He probably could easily defend himself, but he couldn't be too careful. This Irken was beyond pissed. _

_After slamming his angry fists against the tank a tenth time, the glass shattered, sending the Irken and the tank's fluids pouring onto the tiled floor. The tall alien slowly rose to his feet, dripping wet and eyes narrowed to dangerous slits._

"_Stay where you are," Dib warned._

"_Do not threaten me, human," the alien snarled. He ripped out the wire that had been attached to his PAK and extended his spider legs. He shot a blast of energy from the tip of one of his metal appendages, which Dib was quick to dodge. The human returned fire, severing one of the metal legs with a blast of his own energy. The Irken moved forward at rapid speed, tackling the human and wrapping his slender hands around his throat. "You took him from me," he hissed through gritted teeth, eyes blazing with psychotic rage._

_Choking and gasping for breath, Dib lifted his hands and grabbed the Irken's wrists, burning his flesh with his energy. The human became horrified when the alien still did not release him, even when the repulsive scent of burning flesh polluted the air around them. He was in a great deal of pain, Dib could see it, but he still held his death grip around the man's neck, showing no signs of letting go. _

_The authorities quickly burst through the door, guns cocked. Shots rang out through the lab, hitting their target and earning Dib his freedom. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" he shouted quickly, holding up a hand to stop the attack. He glanced over at the fallen alien, counting at least five bullet holes. He rose to his feet as the authorities started to move forward. "I'll take care of this," he said to them, motioning for them to leave._

"_But, sir, he's too dangerous."_

"_I can handle things from here. Now leave. And next time wait for my order before you open fire, understood?"_

"_Y-Yes, sir," one of the men stuttered, lowering his weapon. Once the authorities had escorted themselves out, Dib turned to the wounded Tallest, not surprised to see he was still alive and fighting to lift himself up. He bent over and picked him up easily, being careful not to touch any of his bullet wounds. He ignored the Irken's pained protests, and carried him over to an examining table, securing straps across his abdomen and lower torso so he couldn't run off.._

"_Don't…touch me," the alien rasped._

"_Shut up, alien scum," Dib quipped in response, though there was a bit of boredom in his tone, as well as a hint of annoyance._

"_You're…the…alien scum," the red-eyed Irken replied through clenched teeth, eyes squeezing shut in pain. He opened his eyes again when he heard the human approach him, finding him holding some sort of tool between his fingers. "Get away," he snapped._

"_Just hold still, you idiot," Dib drawled, bending over and reaching for one of the wounds._

"_How dare you insult me?"_

_The human only rolled his eyes, inserting the tool into the wound, which the Irken did not like in the least. Dib winced when his scream echoed off the walls. "If you hold still, it'll hurt a lot less." Dib removed the tool, which now clutched a bullet that he had managed to extract from the wound. He dropped the bullet into the pan he had placed by the Irken's head and set to work on the next wound. "Sorry," he said. "They should have waited for my order. Humans tend to be a bit trigger happy. But you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"_

_The Irken had looked away by that point, glaring daggers at the wall and biting his lip in a futile attempt to ignore the pain. Dib anticipated a nasty retort but was surprised when the alien remained silent. He was so used to Zim always having a comeback that he suspected his leader was no different. For a while the only sound that was heard was the sound of the bloody bullets being dropped into the metal pan._

"_You have a name?"_

_The Tallest turned his head slowly, glaring up at the human. "Why would that matter to you?" he replied venomously._

"_It was a simple question. But I can keep calling you 'alien scum' if you prefer."_

_The Irken looked away again. "Red," he said quietly._

"_That's not your real name, is it?"_

"_No, you fool."_

"_What is it?"_

_Red snorted. "Even my own officers never knew my real name, so it's not like I'd ever tell you, filthy human."_

"_Whatever," Dib replied with a shrug._

"_You're that big-headed kid, aren't you? The one Zim never shut up about." Red finally recognized him as the boy he had seen during a very unwanted transmission he and Purple had received from Zim during Probing Day. _

"_My head is not…oh, forget it. My name is Dib, by the way."_

"_I never asked for your name, imbecile."_

_Dib rolled his eyes again. "Do you have to be difficult?" he replied, bandaging one of the alien's wounds. _

"_And how do you expect me to be?" the Irken replied bitterly, slowly turning to face the human again. "After the way you…" Red's voice trailed off, and he looked away to glare at the wall again, unable to bring himself to say it. Dib frowned as he searched his medical supplies for more bandages. _

"_I'm sorry. But maybe you should have thought about that before you made it your mission to conquer innocent planets. You really thought you could keep doing what you were doing and not face retaliation? Your friend paid the price for your ruthlessness."_

"_YOU ARROGANT, INFERIOR, LITTLE ROACH!" Red screamed at the top of his lungs, pulling against his restraints and kicking violently._

"_Hey, calm down!" _

"_I'D LIKE TO SHOOT YOU INTO A BLACK HOLE, YOU LITTLE WORM!"_

_Growling, Dib conjured a sphere of energy in his hand and pointed it at the alien's face. "If you want to keep breathing, I suggest you shut up!"_

_Red went silent for a moment, still glaring up at the human. "Do it," he said, surprisingly calm now._

"_What?"_

"_You heard me. Kill me. I welcome it."_

_Dib slowly lowered his hand. "You _want _me to kill you?"_

"_I'd rather be dead than be your slave."_

_Dib blinked. "Slave? Who said anything about slavery?"_

_Red cocked a non-existent brow. "Experimentation, then?"_

_Dib could only stare, his mind drawing a blank. Why _did _he bring the alien here? Slavery was beneath him, and there was really no point in experimenting on him. He had learned pretty much all that could have been known about Irkens through experimenting on Zim. There was really nothing left to know. Biologically, anyway. _

"_You're here so I can keep an eye on you and make sure you don't hurt anyone."_

_The Irken didn't seem convinced. "So I'm just a prisoner? Seems like a hassle," he growled. "Wouldn't it have been easier to kill me?"_

_The human quickly busied himself with bandaging one of the alien's wounds. "Maybe if it had been you, but I'm not like you."_

_Red scoffed. "Oh, so I'm supposed to be grateful? Oh, I'm sorry. Please forgive me," he snarled, voice dripping in sarcasm. "Thank you so much, oh great merciful human, for sparing the pitiful little Irken."_

_Dib bit his lip, trying to resist the urge to break the Irken's jaw._

"_You stupid idiot. I DON'T WANT YOUR MERCY! There's more honor in being dead, you disgusting little insect!"_

_Growling, Dib shot his hand out and grasped the Irken's skinny neck, earning a surprised gasp. His ruby eyes narrowed, expressing a look of challenge. "P-Pathetic dirt…c-creature," he rasped, eyes squeezing shut as Dib tightened his grip. Just as the Irken began to feel faint, the human's eyes suddenly widened and he leapt back._

"_I know what you're doing," he quipped. "That's not going to work."_

_The alien coughed and hissed at the man, turning his gaze back to the wall. Dib returned to his side, fetching the rest of the bandages. "Now hold still and shut up so I can finish this." Dib managed to finish tending to the bullet wounds and then quickly took care of the burns he had inflicted to the alien's wrists. Once he was finished, he undid the straps that held Red to the table. He was quick to grab the Irken's arm tightly, afraid he would bolt if he got the chance. The alien complied, surprisingly, sitting up and hopping off the table without complaint. He was likely in too much pain to attempt to fight back, but he knew the Irken would heal quickly. "Let's go," Dib ordered coldly, leading the Irken out of the lab._

"_Where are you taking me, human?" he hissed. Dib ignored the question, dragging the alien down hallway after hallway before finally coming upon a large, metal door, a single, glass window in its center. The human swiped a card across a scanner by the door, and the locks slid out of place, granting him entrance into the room. _

"_Get in," Dib hissed as he shoved the Irken forward._

"_What are you-"_

_Dib slammed the door before the alien could finish, the thick walls almost completely drowning out the alien's loud cursing._

0ooooooo0

Dib stood from his chair, going back inside and sliding the glass door behind him as quietly as he could so as not to disturb his partner. He exited the bedroom and slowly made his way downstairs. He plopped down onto the couch, his hand sliding over the cushion and gripping the remote. The TV clicked on and Dib slumped back into the couch, surfing through the channels.

"_As of right now, there have still been no reports on the whereabouts of the alien," _the voice of a news anchor said, earning an annoyed groan from Dib. _"Dib Membrane spoke with reporters days ago, asserting to the public that he is doing everything in his power to locate the monster."_

Growling again, Dib quickly changed the channel, sick and tired of always seeing the same thing on the news day after day. Even terrorist attacks were getting less coverage, but he supposed that was to be expected. After all, an alien menace bent on world destruction was pretty serious.

He surfed through a few more channels before stumbling upon a program that seemed to grasp his interest. Several tigers paced the floor of a large cage, occasionally reaching their paws out to towards the human who kept them there.

"_They're like my children," _the man said. _"I'd die for them."_

Dib rolled his eyes as he listened. "What a moron," he sighed. He listened as the narrator droned on about humans' obsessions with dangerous and exotic animals, how they were drawn to the thrill of owning something so deadly and completely deluded to how much danger they were in. They always asserted that they were the exception, and that their animals would never harm them.

Dib continued to watch the program, shaking his head again and again at the humans' ignorance, but as he continued to watch, a troubling thought suddenly occurred to him.

"_It's very possible that people who own exotic animals like tigers feel a sense of self-importance," _the narrator's words replayed in his mind. _"To have dominion over a dangerous animal is thrilling and gives them a satisfying sense of control, which they may be lacking in other aspects of their life."_

As much as he didn't want them to, the man's words started to form a clear answer to the question he had yet to answer.


	2. Part II

**Thereafter**

Part II of II

_Dib had observed the Irken for about a week, watching his every move on a video screen in a secure room. For the first day of his imprisonment, the alien wasted a good deal of energy trying to blast a hole in the wall. Every wall was dotted with dark, black spots where he had tried to break free, but it had been a futile effort. After he had finally given up trying to break free, he simply sat in one corner of the room, legs crossed Indian-style and elbows resting on his knees. He would occasionally glance down at the pants and shirt that he wore with a great deal of disgust, which amused Dib slightly. _

_After a couple of days, Dib had tried to strike up a conversation with the alien, but he didn't get two words out of the Irken. Well…he _did _get two words out of him, but they weren't exactly the words he had been hoping to get. The only food he presented Red was a plate of waffles, as it was the only human food he knew of that Irkens could tolerate. The first batch of waffles that had been presented to the alien ended up thrown against the wall…where they stuck, slowly sliding down to the floor in a goopy, syrupy mess. Eventually, though, the alien gave in to his hunger and ate the next plate given to him with disdain._

_Dib once again tried to make conversation, hoping he could finally break the ice with the stubborn creature. Why he wanted to lessen the friction between them was beyond him. He was still trying to understand why he had brought his enemy back to his labs in the first place. _

_The human unlocked the cell door and stepped into the room, carrying a chair with him. "Hey," he greeted the alien, who continued glaring straight ahead. "I'd say nice weather we're having, but it's not like you can see it," he laughed, and then instantly winced, not realizing how cynical the joke sounded until it had left his tongue._

"_Stop, you're killing me," the alien drawled sarcastically. Dib sighed, sitting down in the chair._

"_So…how long did…um…you and him know each other?"_

_Red sent the man an icy glare. "I assume you're talking about Purple?"_

_Dib shrugged. "I guess."_

_Red was silent for a moment, debating with himself on whether or not to answer the stupid human's question._

"_Pretty much since smeethood."_

"_You two were close," Dib replied. It was more of a statement than a question. The alien muttered something under his breath, which Dib assumed was another insult. "I'm sorry. Really…I am. I'm sorry it had to end the way it did."_

_Red chuckled coldly. "You know…you keep apologizing, and then in the very next breath, you keep tainting your words. Can you apologize and _not _blame me in the same sentence?"_

"_What? Do you think I'm going to say you didn't bring it upon yourselves? Really? You're damn right you're to blame! If you weren't so hell bent on conquering the universe, we wouldn't be having this talk right now, would we?" the human shouted. Red shot up to his feet, his long, slender fingers curling into fists. His antennae lowered in anger as he contemplated charging at the human, but after a few moments, he lowered himself to the floor again, his fighting spirit completely tattered at this point._

"_Just get out."_

"_All right, look…we'll talk about something else."_

"_I don't wish to speak with you. I don't even want to look at you. Now GET OUT!"_

_Dib sighed as he stood to leave, not wishing to invoke the alien's wrath._

0ooooooo0

Dib muted the TV, staring at the silent screen as his mouth fell open. Was this it? Was he just like that deluded man on the television? Was that why he spared the alien? Was this just some kind of sick thrill for him? Did he enjoy the thought of keeping a dangerous creature under his control? The thought made him sick to his stomach.

The man returned the sound, continuing to watch the program with an icy feeling in pit of his stomach.

0ooooooo0

_Red wasn't exactly sure where he was going or what he was thinking, for that matter. He knew the human would get out of that cell eventually, and it's not like the Irken had anywhere to go. He had no equipment, no ship that he could use to escape this planet, or even any way of contacting his people back on Irk. So why was he even bothering? Maybe he wasn't expecting to escape with his life. Maybe he didn't want to. He knew there was no hope of getting off of this planet, but he was _not _going to be a prisoner of war. Never. Death was the only dignified alternative now. The humans would chase him down, he knew it. They would find him, and they would either bring him in, or bring him down, and he was not about to go back willingly._

_The alien stopped in front of a large, metal door, unsure of what waited behind it. An exit, perhaps? He didn't know. He looked down at the key card that he had managed to steal from the human and quickly swiped it over the scanner. There was a single beep as the light on the scanner flashed green, followed by a clicking sound as the door parted. Red placed his hand against the door, slowly pushing it open. He remained alert, not knowing what to expect on the other side. What he did find horrified him._

_He was almost unrecognizable, but Red knew it was him. He was completely motionless inside the tank, and the taller Irken had to wonder if he was even still alive. He slowly approached the tank, mouth agape. "Zi…Zim?"_

_Slowly, the little Irken's eyes, or eye rather, opened, curiously staring up at the tall being. "M-My…My Tallest?" he whispered, his voice hoarse and weak. "You're…alive? The Dib said…you…were dead. B-But…where is…" Zim began, noticing Purple was not at Red's side. "No…Please tell me…"_

_Red frowned deeply. "He didn't survive the battle. The entire Armada was brought down, the Massive and all."_

_Zim's one eye squeezed shut in grief, his teeth clenching. "That…filthy…pig-smelly." He returned his gaze to his Tallest, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I…was beginning…to lose hope, My Tallest. I was starting…to…think you would…never come. I was…a fool to ever…doubt you."_

_Red averted his gaze for a moment, feeling an uncharacteristic wave of guilt hit him full force. After seeing the Irken in this state, he knew he couldn't bring himself to tell him the truth, that the only reason the Armada had even set a course for Earth was simply because…they had nothing better to do. The Irken Empire had pretty much every last stretch of the universe under their reign, with the exception of Earth. Several years ago, they would have scoffed at the idea of even bothering with the planet. Knowing Zim's uncanny ability to ruin anything and everything, they figured they'd be putting themselves at risk if they attempted an invasion of the planet with him still on it, but after they had stopped receiving transmissions from the Irken, they had assumed he had finally met his demise. The thought of invading the planet suddenly became more tempting after that._

"_How…How long have you been confined here, Zim?"_

_The Irken growled. "Twenty Earth years."_

_Yep, that definitely explained why they had stopped receiving calls from him. Why wasn't this funny to him? Why didn't he find amusement in this defective's suffering? Had his PAK been damaged during the crash? All he could feel at that moment was disgust…and pity._

_Red took a step back, deploying his spider legs and pointing them upward at the tank. He fired a shot at the glass, which shattered instantly, sending dozens of shards and pink-colored liquid pouring to the floor at his feet. Zim had shielded himself the best he could with one arm as the glass fell all around him. He tried his best to stand from his chair, but after being immobile for so long, his legs quickly buckled underneath him and he fell forward. Red shot a hand forward and caught him, extending his other hand to detach the various cords and wires that were attached to the Irken, tossing them aside with disgust. He gently lay the Irken back, his hand still cradling the back of his head._

"_I'm…sorry, My Tallest. I…I gave in to him. It's like…he had some…kind of power over me. I…I couldn't fight him. I let you down, My Tallest. I've…failed you. I've failed as an invader."_

_The taller Irken's antennae lowered slightly. The defective never lost his desire to please his leaders, and look where it got him. "You're not a failure, Zim," he said quietly. "You did your best. You have the tenacity of ten invaders put together."_

_Hearing this seemed to bring a bit of light to the tiny Irken's face. "Really?"_

"_Yes. You've done the Empire proud." The Tallest sighed sadly, knowing what he was about to do…what he _had _to do. "Would you close your eyes, Zim?"_

_The smaller Irken did as his leader asked, never once questioning his intentions. Always quick to follow orders. _

_Red's PAK clicked as it opened, a single metal appendage emerging from within it. The metal limb lowered itself, its incredibly sharp tip pointed at the smaller Irken's throat. He hesitated only for a moment, regarding the defective briefly with remorse. Swallowing hard, he plunged the leg forward, slicing through the Irken's neck and severing an important artery. Red winced as blood splattered across his face, pushing aside the nausea that suddenly overwhelmed him. The little defective was finally dead, but there was no cheering, or even a sigh of relief. There was only silence as the Tallest stared down at the lifeless corpse that still hung limply in his arm. His grip tightened on the little body as he shook with anger, an anger that was directed at himself more than anyone else. Zim had ended up like this because of him. _He _had put him here. He shared just as much of the blame as the humans._

_Red grit his teeth as he heard multiple footsteps enter the room. He laid Zim's body down and slowly rose, turning to face the humans. Dib stood glaring at the Irken, several armed guards flanking his side with their guns cocked. Dib's gaze traveled past the alien, coming to rest on Zim's corpse. "What did you do?" he growled, snapping his attention back up to the Tallest. Red only glared. "You killed him?" the human shouted in disbelief._

"_I had to! There was nothing left of him! It was the only way to save him from your cruelty! He was better off dead than living another second of these indignities!" Red cringed at the hypocrisy of his words. _

"_Take him back to his cell," Dib ordered. Two guards quickly approached the Irken and seized him by his arms, while a third stood behind him, pressing the end of his gun to the alien's PAK. He could have easily resisted, resulting in a swift end to his life right then and there, but he didn't. After what had just happened, he felt as though he deserved to rot in a cell. Death just felt too good for him now._

_Now only Dib remained in the room, staring with a conflicted gaze at the dead alien. He slowly approached the base of the tank, ignoring the monitoring equipment that urgently flashed and beeped at him. After all, it was too late now; he was dead. And strangely enough, as he gazed upon the lifeless form, he felt as though a part of him had died with him._

0ooooooo0

Dib turned off the television and started to head back upstairs. As he reentered his bedroom, he could still make out his partner's form in the dim light. He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, looking over his shoulder at the creature he had grown to love, his mind wandering to the brief period back in the labs after Zim's death. Red had fallen silent, never speaking, or eating, or moving. No matter how many times Dib had tried, he could never rouse a single word from the alien. It was during that time that Dib had drifted into a period of self-loathing. Whether it was brought on by Red's depression or Zim's death, he wasn't quite sure. Most likely both.

So what did he do? In a desperate attempt to relieve his conscience, he set up an entire ruse, fooling the world into thinking the alien had escaped, when in reality, he was sharing a bed with him. Sure, it hadn't started out that way when he had first brought the Irken into his home, and he never once expected it to. What had started out as just simple fascination and curiosity became so much more, even when he didn't want it to. The stress of it all was beginning to get to him.

"If you're going to stay up, could you _please _just go downstairs and stay there? You're driving me crazy."

Dib jumped as the voice sliced through the silent air, as he had assumed the Irken was asleep.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Since you stepped out onto the balcony."

Dib swung his legs onto the bed and leaned back into the pillows, resting an arm behind his head. "I thought I was quiet."

"You're stressed," Red said after a short silence.

"Of course I'm stressed. Why wouldn't I be stressed? Everyone thinks I'm on a mission to find a missing alien, when in reality, I'm shacking up with him." The human growled as he pressed his hands to his face. "It's only a matter of time before we're found out."

"And if we are?"

"Fuck, I don't know."

Dib felt the weight of the bed shift, and he suddenly saw Red's dark silhouette sitting upward now. "I never asked you to do any of this."

"I know that."

"I also never asked you to spare my life."

Dib paused for a moment before repeating, a bit more quietly, "I know that." Even in the darkened room, he could feel Red's penetrating gaze on him.

"Do you wish you hadn't?"

Dib pushed himself into a sitting position, seeking the Irken's gaze the best he could in the dark. "No." The human slid his hand across the sheets and took the Irken's hand, pulling it towards him. He ran his index finger up the length of the alien's arm slowly, hearing him exhale contently. He had learned months ago that the Irken enjoyed this a great deal.

"Why didn't you kill me that day?" he asked softly.

"You've asked me that so many times."

"And you've never answered me."

"I told you I wanted to keep you locked up so you couldn't hurt anyone."

"Oh, please, you're still holding onto that excuse? That's a load of crap, and you know it. I already poked a hole so big in that argument that even the Massive could fly through it."

Dib sighed, stifling a laugh. "I don't know…I guess…I just thought it'd be a waste."

"A waste? So you _did _want to experiment on me."

"I don't know. I guess I was just sort of holding out hope that I could learn more. And the thought of holding you captive was sort of…"

"Thrilling?"

"Yeah."

"I see."

"And…I don't know…I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It just didn't sit right with me."

"Well, that's because you're soft."

The human didn't seem at all offended by this. "Yeah, I guess I am. It's easy to kill your enemy when you don't actually have to see them up close…to see their faces…to see the pain you've already caused," Dib added, referring to Purple. Red stiffened slightly, pulling his hand from Dib's. "Sorry," Dib said softly as he scooted closer to the alien.

"So…if we're found out…what are your intentions?"

"I don't know, all right? We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, and hopefully, we'll _never _come to it."

"Would you hand me over to the Earth authorities?"

"No."

Dib touched his fingers to the small of the Irken's back, feeling him shiver slightly. He ran his fingers up his spine and gently over the surface of his PAK. When his fingers finally found the base of his antennae, he finally relaxed. After a few gentle strokes, Red grabbed the human by the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards him, crashing his lips against his. Dib responded quickly and pushed the alien down onto the bed, taking his position on top of him, which Red didn't have as big a problem with as he used to.

Clothes were strewn about without a care, and hands sought every inch of each other's bodies, seeking out those special areas that they knew would earn them the loudest reactions. Dib's lips found the Irken's neck, kissing downward until he was just above the collarbone. He smiled against his skin when he felt him open his legs for him, something he normally never did without complaint.

After sharing their intimacy, Dib rolled off of the Irken, falling back onto his side of the bed, completely spent. His hand found the alien's again and he pulled it towards him, lacing his fingers with his.

"Narro," said Red softly after a long silence, his breathing now even again. Dib turned to him, brows furrowing.

"Huh?"

"Back in the lab…you asked me what my real name was. It's Narro."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, this pairing came out of nowhere. Out of curiosity, I did a search for this pairing and came up with practically nothing. I think I found like one story that involved this coupling. I was kind of glad, honestly. It's always fun to experiment with something that's not very popular. I was really only testing the waters with this couple to see how I felt about it. I wasn't a big fan of it when I first started writing this, but now I totally ship these two XD

A small part of me really wants to expand on this. I was really holding back while writing this. It was already getting long enough without all the other details I wanted to throw into the mix, and there were some things that I was originally going to add but had to cut because it was just getting too long. I thought it was going to be about 4,000 words but it just kept getting bigger, so I decided to split it into two parts. I don't like to overwhelm my readers with huge chapters.

As long as this is, I still want to do more with it. If this _were _to be expanded, I can't see it exceeding past 20,000 words, so if it were to become a multi-chapter fanfic, it wouldn't be a very long one. I may fool around with it and see what I come up with.


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